Medical assistants play an important role in healthcare settings, providing both clinical and administrative support to keep the medical facilities where they work running smoothly. But what exactly does a medical assistant do? From the day-to-day tasks and the skills needed to succeed in the role, this guide will explore everything you need to know about this in-demand career.
Let’s get started.
What Do Medical Assistants Do?
Where Do Medical Assistants Work?
Skills Required to Be a Medical Assistant
How Medical Assistants Can Expand Their Scope of Care
Advanced eClinical Training: Expediting Your Path to CCMA
What Is a Medical Assistant?
It’s worth repeating: Medical assistants are essential members of healthcare teams, responsible for ensuring smooth clinical and administrative operations within a facility. While they play a crucial support role, medical assistants are not licensed to provide medical advice to patients, limiting their duties to assisting healthcare providers and office staff.
CCMA vs. CMA: What’s the Difference?
As you begin to research the medical assistant profession, you’ll likely come across information about the certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA) and certified medical assistant (CMA) roles. It’s important to keep in mind that these are two distinct positions, meaning the titles shouldn’t be used interchangeably. And while both roles are qualified to work as medical assistants, their duties and training requirements differ.
- CCMAs primarily focus on direct patient care, assisting physicians with exams, preparing lab specimens, and performing minor medical procedures (e.g. administering injections and drawing blood). To become a CCMA, you must have a high school diploma or equivalent, graduate from an accredited or military-sponsored medical training program, and either complete an apprenticeship or work as a medical assistant for at least one year.
- CMAs, on the other hand, may take on more administrative tasks in addition to their clinical responsibilities. These include (but aren’t limited to) managing patient records, handling insurance paperwork, and scheduling appointments. The path to CMA certification requires completing an accredited medical training program.
What Do Medical Assistants Do?
Specific duties will vary based on the size and type of facility medical assistants work in. For example, at larger hospitals or specialized clinics, medical assistants may focus more on clinical tasks, while those in smaller practices are likely to perform a combination of clinical and administrative duties. Let’s take a closer look at common day-to-day medical assistant responsibilities:
Clinical Duties
On the clinical side, medical assistants are responsible for providing direct support to physicians as they work with patients. Typical duties include:
- Taking patient vitals such as blood pressure, temperature, height, and weight
- Preparing examination rooms for appointments
- Assisting with routine medical procedures and exams
- Administering medications or injections as directed by a physician
- Collecting lab specimens for testing
- Explaining treatment plans or procedures to patients and providing follow-up care instructions
Administrative Duties
In addition to their clinical responsibilities, many medical assistants handle a variety of administrative tasks. These duties often include:
- Scheduling appointments and managing patient check-ins
- Updating and maintaining accurate medical records
- Handling insurance paperwork and billing inquiries
- Answering patient questions and providing support over the phone or in person
Medical Assistant Responsibilities vs. Nursing
Though medical assistants and nursing staff share some of the same responsibilities, particularly in terms of patient care, there are key differences between the two roles. Nurses focus more on providing direct, complex patient care, whereas medical assistants balance simple clinical tasks with administrative work. Additionally, medical assistants are only permitted to provide patient care under the direct supervision of a licensed practitioner (either a doctor or registered nurse), while nurses are free to practice under their own license.
Where Do Medical Assistants Work?
Thanks to the versatile skill set required for the job, medical assistants can work in a wide variety of healthcare environments. This versatility also affords them the flexibility to follow their interests when deciding where they want to work. Here are some of the most common places medical assistants are employed:
- Doctor’s offices and private practices
- Outpatient care centers
- Hospitals
- Dental offices
- Ophthalmology offices
- Nursing homes
- Physical therapy facilities
- Urgent care centers
Skills Required to Be a Medical Assistant
The medical assistant role is multifaceted, which means that for a successful career, you’ll need to build and develop a variety of skill sets, including:
Interpersonal Skills
In your role as a medical assistant, you’ll interact with patients, doctors, and other healthcare professionals every day. To create positive experiences for patients and build amicable working relationships with your colleagues, strong interpersonal skills are essential. These include:
- Communication: Whether in writing or verbally, the ability to clearly convey information to patients and fellow healthcare providers prevents misunderstandings, ensuring a high standard of care.
- Empathy: When you’re able to understand patients’ concerns, you can address them with compassion, putting your patients at ease during appointments or procedures.
- Teamwork: At medical facilities, providing the best care possible is a group effort, making collaboration skills essential.
Clinical Skills
Since you’ll be responsible for a range of clinical tasks in your role as a medical assistant, technical knowledge and proficiency is a must. To be prepared, you should be proficient in:
- Medical terminology: Understanding common medical terms and abbreviations is essential when communicating with both patients and colleagues alike.
- CPR and first aid: In case of emergencies, knowledge of basic life-saving techniques is essential.
- Patient preparation: This includes taking medical histories, explaining procedures, and answering patient questions.
- Phlebotomy: Drawing blood from patients for lab testing.
- Administering injections: Giving vaccines or other medications as directed by your supervising physician.
- Vital sign measurement: Accurately measuring and recording patient vital signs, typically at the beginning of an appointment.
Administrative Skills
Though all medical assistants take on some degree of administrative duties, these are more relevant if you work in a smaller healthcare setting. Key administrative skills include:
- Computer literacy: Knowing how to navigate software systems is essential, as modern medical offices use computers to carry out the majority of administrative functions.
- Multitasking: Administrative work requires handling multiple responsibilities at once. The ability to multitask and change your focus quickly will make working in the office much easier.
- Organizational skills: Similarly, being able to keep track of important documents, patient files, and schedules is an important part of office work.
Salary & Career Outlook
Now that you know more about what a medical assistant does and the skills you’ll need to become one, what about career prospects?
The demand for medical assistants is on the rise, with employment expected to grow 15% by 2033 — a rate that’s much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is spurred by an aging population and a focus on preventative care, both of which are driving the need for medical services. Specifically, 119,800 new job openings are expected each year over the next decade, providing numerous opportunities for those entering the field.
In terms of salary, the median annual wage for medical assistants is $42,000. However, what you’ll make in this role will vary depending on your work environment, experience, and location. For example, experienced medical assistants working in a large city hospital or specialized clinic will most likely earn more than those working in smaller practices or outpatient care centers in more rural locations.
How Medical Assistants Can Expand Their Scope of Care
As a medical assistant, your role will constantly evolve alongside the healthcare field. To keep pace, many medical assistants are expanding their responsibilities by gaining expertise in focused areas. Here’s how you can follow suit:
Expanding Your Clinical Responsibilities
Many healthcare providers are eager to refine their practices, and having well-rounded medical assistants who can perform a more comprehensive range of tasks is a great way for them to achieve that end. By continuously updating your skill set, you can increase your value while contributing to the overall success of the healthcare facility where you work. Some ways to expand your clinical scope include:
- Performing additional procedures: With the proper training, you can become qualified to perform certain procedures, such as blood tests and EKGs. The ability to conduct these procedures not only expands your role, it also improves convenience for patients since more services can be offered under one roof.
- Acting as a medical scribe: As a medical scribe, you’ll document patient interactions during exams and consultations, allowing physicians to focus solely on the patient. This is especially beneficial if you’re hoping to further your medical career, as it helps you develop an in-depth knowledge of medical terminology and processes.
Enhancing Patient Relations
Medical assistants often have much more face time with patients than physicians do, putting them in a unique position to build strong relationships and improve outcomes. To expand your role in this avenue, consider branching out into:
- Patient education and health coaching: Assist patients by explaining treatment plans, encouraging them to keep up with their treatment, and providing advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Connecting with patients in this way can lead to more favorable patient-provider relations and improved outcomes.
- Patient outreach: Medical assistants can also play a role in outreach efforts, such as contacting patients before appointments to ensure they’re prepared to meet with their doctor and following up with them afterward. A proactive approach like this helps patients stay on track with their care plans.
Advanced eClinical Training: Expediting Your Path to CCMA
As the demand for skilled medical assistants grows, more employers are prioritizing candidates who have their CCMA certification. While a high school diploma or GED will still meet the minimum requirements for some facilities, earning your CCMA credential significantly improves your chances of landing a job.
At Advanced eClinical Training, we offer an affordable, self-paced CCMA certification program designed to fit your schedule. With our fully online course, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge needed to pass the CCMA exam and start your healthcare career in as little as eight weeks. Take the next step toward becoming a medical assistant — enroll today.
